Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong SY, Fong P, Chan PY, Cheng YK, Cheung PK, Tam YL, Yam CM, Lam MY, Yee YT, Chan WY, Chan PF
Affiliation :
Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, Kowloon East Cluster (KEC)
Keyword 1: :
Cervical cancer
Keyword 3: :
prevention measures
Keyword 4: :
health literacy
Keyword 5: :
self-efficacy
Introduction :
Cervical cancer accounted for 2.9% of all new cancer cases in Hong Kong in 2022. An upward trend of the age-standardized incidence rate was observed in the past 10 years. Recent research found that only 48% of women had received regular cervical cancer screening in Hong Kong. The findings reflect low awareness of the importance of preventive cervical cancer measures among Hong Kong women.
With highly effective prevention measures, an estimated 83% of death could be prevented by empowering women to take control over cervical screening.
Objectives :
1.To enhance women’s understanding of symptoms and signs of cervical cancer.
2.To enhance women’s understanding on preventive measures against cervical cancer.
3.To enhance women’s knowledge of community resources for cervical cancer.
Methodology :
105 women, aged 25-64 years old were randomly recruited from five FMCs to participate in a questionnaire survey by using convenient sampling. Participants were asked to complete a pre-education questionnaire in a private room. The questionnaire consisted of six parts:
-Demographic data
-Understanding of cervical cancer
-Signs and symptoms of cervical cancer
-Awareness of pap-smear -Awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination -Awareness of preventive services in the community
Participants then received a 6-minute educational video about cervical cancer which covered the following contents:
-Risk factors & causes
-Modes of transmission
-Symptoms and signs
-Preventive measures -Locations of woman health services in District Health Centers and Hospital Authority Clinics Participants were asked to complete a post-education questionnaire which was identical to the pre-education questionnaire and educational leaflet on cervical cancer was given to the participants.
Result & Outcome :
Pre-intervention data: -43.8% women knew the causes of cervical cancer -63.8% women believed it was preventable
-Over 1/3 of women were unaware of its primary transmission mode
This gap between recognition and understanding underscored a significant public health challenge: mere awareness does not equate to health literacy or empower proactive behavior.
Post-intervention data:
The results were overwhelmingly positive, with statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001) including:
-Understanding of cervical cancer etiology (from 43.8% to 83.8%)
-Awareness of symptoms and signs (from 26.7% to 73.3%)
-Willingness to accept pap smear screening (from 68.6% to 92.4%)
-Willingness to receive HPV vaccine (from 48.6% to 77.1%)
-Ability to identify community-based resources (from 24.8% to 97.1%)
By dispelling myths and providing clear, actionable information, the intervention would likely be able to enhance participants perceived self-efficacy, which is the key component of health empowerment.
